The Stat Line Of The Night — 6/15/11 — Tim Thomas

Yes, I am well aware of the fact that Josh Beckett pitched a one-hit shutout last night. Kudos to him, but before you begin to tell me about how he deserves the “Stat Line of the Night,” let me ask you the following question. Did he receive two trophies for his accomplishment afterwards? No, he did not. Tim Thomas, on the other hand, did after stopping all 37 shots he faced during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Much like the previous six games of the series, Tim Thomas was incredible in goal for the Boston Bruins, as he shut down the Canucks offense and brought Boston their first Stanley Cup since 1972, via a 4-0 victory. In addition to hoisting the Stanley Cup, Thomas also received the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff M.V.P., and he may very well be the most deserving recipient of that honor over the past two decades.

Thomas led all goaltenders in every major statistical category throughout the playoffs, including save percentage (.940), goals against average (1.98), shutouts (4), and of course, wins (16). His best work came in the Finals, where he allowed only eight goals over the course of seven games, and recorded two shutouts. One of those shutouts came last night during the decisive Game 7, and it earned him the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and “The Stat Line of the Night” for Wednesday, June 15, 2011.